Mercury saligenin, a New Antiseptic. 77 



the ability of the kidney to eliminate phenolsulphonephthalein. 

 Furthermore, at this stage of the mercury intoxication the kidney 

 shows no evidence of injury but shows on the contrary a convoluted 

 tubule epithelium with nuclear and cytoplasmic changes, indicative 

 of a functionally active state. 



4. At this early stage of the intoxication by mercuric chloride 

 there occurs a reduction in blood urea. This decrease in blood 

 urea has been associated with the development of degenerative 

 changes in the liver which first make their appearance in the 

 periphery of the liver lobule. 



5. Associated with such changes in the liver and prior to the 

 development of the kidney injury there occurs a reduction in the 

 alkali reserve of the blood. 



36 (1618) 



Mercury saligenin, a new antiseptic. 



By Arthur D. Hirschfelder, Merrill C. Hart and Frank 



J. Kucera. 1 



[From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota.] 



The early studies of G. Cohn on saligenin and homosaligenin 

 and the recent investigations of D. I. Macht on benzyl alcohol 

 have demonstrated that these substances are mild antiseptics. 

 We have studied the action of saligenin, 



OH 



CH 2 OH, 



homosaligenin, 



OH 

 Qj CH 2 OH, 



CH 3 



1 The researches reported in this investigation were made possible by the aid of 

 funds granted by the United States Interdepartmental Social Hygiene Board for 

 the discovery of more efficient medical measures in the treatment and prevention of 

 venereal diseases. 



